US3849613A - Turn signal switch apparatus for motor vehicle - Google Patents

Turn signal switch apparatus for motor vehicle Download PDF

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Publication number
US3849613A
US3849613A US00401010A US40101073A US3849613A US 3849613 A US3849613 A US 3849613A US 00401010 A US00401010 A US 00401010A US 40101073 A US40101073 A US 40101073A US 3849613 A US3849613 A US 3849613A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
actuating member
base wall
turn signal
signal switch
transverse base
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00401010A
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English (en)
Inventor
Y Kawai
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Tokai Rika Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Tokai Rika Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Tokai Rika Co Ltd filed Critical Tokai Rika Co Ltd
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3849613A publication Critical patent/US3849613A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B60Q1/34—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating change of drive direction
    • B60Q1/40—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating change of drive direction having mechanical, electric or electronic automatic return to inoperative position
    • B60Q1/42—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating change of drive direction having mechanical, electric or electronic automatic return to inoperative position having mechanical automatic return to inoperative position due to steering-wheel position, e.g. with roller wheel control
    • B60Q1/425—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating change of drive direction having mechanical, electric or electronic automatic return to inoperative position having mechanical automatic return to inoperative position due to steering-wheel position, e.g. with roller wheel control using a latching element for resetting a switching element

Definitions

  • a turn signal switch apparatus for a motor vehicle mounted on the steering column for manual operation by the driver comprises a housing body with a transverse base wall and an actuating member mounted pivotably on the base wall in the housing body and connected to a turn signal switch lever.
  • the actuating member is integrally provided with a stopper tongue which extends through an opening formed in the transverse base wall and abuts against the lower side of an upstanding guide rib provided on the base wall, whereby preventing the distal portion of the actuating member from being raised during repeated pivotal movements of the member.
  • This invention relates to a turn signal switch apparatus for a motor vehicle, and more particularly to an improvement on the structure of a turn signal switch apparatus of the type described which is usually mounted on the steering column of the vehicle and adapted for manual operation by the driver.
  • Such turn signal switch apparatus for selectively flashing left and right vehicle signal lamps for direction signaling purposes has an actuating mechanism comprising a substantially cylindrical housing body with a transverse base wall integrally formed therein, a pivotable actuating member which is pivotally supported within and by the housing body, and a turn signal switch lever connected to the actuating member and extending outwardly from the housing body.
  • the pivotable actuating member is adapted to effect horizontal angular movement around its pivot post received in a hole formed on the transverse base wall which serves as a guide surface for the actuating member.
  • the actuating member pivots into left and right positions alternatively from a neutral position with a snap action attainable by resilient biasing means provided on the actuating member and a portion of the housing body.
  • left and right flasher lamp circuits are electrically closed, respectively, through the action of a change-over contact switch element, thus attaining direction signaling purposes.
  • This invention is directed to eliminate the above prior art drawbacks without the necessity of employing a retainer member by providing an improvement on the conventional; structure of a turn signal switch apparatus of the type described, the improvement being attainable in a simple and inexpensive manner.
  • a turn signal switch apparatus for use in a motor vehicle wherein a pivotable actuating member is integrally formed with a stopper tongue which extends toward an upstanding guide rib from the distal end portion of the actuating member for abutting engagement with a guide surface formed on the upstanding guide rib, whereby preventing the distal portion of the actuating member from being raised during repeated pivotal movement of the member.
  • FIG. 1 is a top view of the apparatus according to the invention showing how the parts are in operative association with one another when assembled;
  • FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the essential feature of the invention
  • FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken along the line III-III of FIG. 1 showing also the essential feature of the invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a top view of a pivotable actuating member to be incorporated in the apparatus.
  • the apparatus generally indicated at 1 includes: a substantially cylindrical housing body 2 having a transverse base wall 4 formed integrally with and within the housing body; and a pivotable actuating member generally indicated at 3 which is supported pivotally around its integral pivot post 5 received in a hole 6 formed on the transverse base wall 4.
  • the pivotable actuating member 3 connects at its proximal end a turn signal switch lever 7 which is fixedly secured in a recess groove 8 formed on the proximal portion 12 of the actuating member, the lever 7 extending outwardly through a cut opening 9 provided on the housing body 2.
  • the pivotable actuating member 3 is such shaped that at the distal portion, where two arms l3, 13 extending from the proximal portion 12 join with each other, is provided a projection 10 having a bore 11 in which a spring 14 loaded steel ball 15 is accommodated.
  • a projection 10 having a bore 11 in which a spring 14 loaded steel ball 15 is accommodated.
  • an upstanding guide rib 16 extending integrally from the transverse wall 4 of the housing body.
  • This upstanding guide rib 16 constitutes a V-shaped guide surface 17 which is adapted for resilient engagement with the spring loaded steel ball 15 carried by the actuating member 3.
  • the housing body and the actuating member are preferably made of suitable synthetic resin by mold-forming process.
  • the above movement of the projection of the actuating member attains alternative closing of notshown left and right flasher lamp circuits. Also, as is known, it is arranged that the actuating member is automatically returned to the neutral position by means of a not-shown canceling cam arrangement movable with the steering apparatus when the turn is completed.
  • the transverse base wall 4 is provided, adjacent the upstanding guide rib 16, with an elongated opening 19 which extends over the length corresponding to the angular sweep of the movable projection 10. (See FIG. 2.)
  • the projection of the actuating member 3 is integrally formed with a stopper tongue which extends downwardly through the opening 19 from the end bottom of the projection and which then is turned outwardly horizontally so that the stopper tongue 20 abuts against a guide surface 21 formed on the lower side of the upstanding guide rib 16.
  • the pivotable actuating member of the apparatus accomplishes desirous movement substantially on the horizontal plane without risks of its distal portion being raised during the long repeated use of the apparatus even by a rough driver, due to the fact that throughout the pivotal movement of the actuating member the stopper tongue 20 is kept in abutting engagement with the guide surface 21 of the upstanding guide rib 16 in the housing body.
  • the invention may eliminate any difficulties of malfunction or unsteady operation in the associated electrical elements that have occurred in the prior art apparatus.
  • the invention is advantageous in that such an additional retainer member as common in the ordinary apparatus may be omitted.
  • stopper tongue formed integral with the actuating member may easily be put in through the opening on the transverse base wall to be positioned in engagement with the guide surface of the upstanding rib, thanks to the resilient character of the stopper tongue, while the pivot post being inserted into the receiving hole on the transverse base wall.
  • stopper tongue may extend from any suitable portion of the projection other than the extreme edge, or may be curved in its section.
  • a turn signal switch apparatus for a motor vehicle of the type which includes a substantially cylindrical housing body with an integral transverse base wall extending horizontally therein and a pivotable actuating member mounted within said housing body for horizontal pivotal movement on the transverse base wall caused by external manipulation of a turn signal switch lever connected to said actuating member by a driver of a motor vehicle, said horizontal pivotal movement of the actuating member being conducted through elastic engagement between a distal projection of said member and an upstanding guide rib formed on and integral with the transverse base wall, the improvement comprises: an elongated opening formed in the transverse base wall adjacent the upstanding guide rib and beneath the distal projection, said opening extending over a length corresponding to the angular sweep of the distal projection; a stopper tongue integrally formed with the actuating member, said stopper tongue extending toward the upstanding guide rib from the distal end portion of the actuating member; and a guide surface provided on said upstanding guide rib in cooperating relationship with the stopper tongue, so that stopper tongue

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Switches With Compound Operations (AREA)
US00401010A 1972-09-28 1973-09-26 Turn signal switch apparatus for motor vehicle Expired - Lifetime US3849613A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP1972112869U JPS5223255Y2 (enExample) 1972-09-28 1972-09-28

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3849613A true US3849613A (en) 1974-11-19

Family

ID=14597551

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00401010A Expired - Lifetime US3849613A (en) 1972-09-28 1973-09-26 Turn signal switch apparatus for motor vehicle

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (1) US3849613A (enExample)
JP (1) JPS5223255Y2 (enExample)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5575177A (en) * 1993-09-13 1996-11-19 United Technologies Automotive, Inc. Turn signal cancellation mechanism
US5744769A (en) * 1993-09-13 1998-04-28 United Technologies Automotive, Inc. Electrical switch for use in an automotive vehicle
EP1724090A1 (en) 2005-05-19 2006-11-22 Mold-Masters Limited Injection nozzle with a thermal shroud and method of making the same

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5575177A (en) * 1993-09-13 1996-11-19 United Technologies Automotive, Inc. Turn signal cancellation mechanism
US5744769A (en) * 1993-09-13 1998-04-28 United Technologies Automotive, Inc. Electrical switch for use in an automotive vehicle
EP1724090A1 (en) 2005-05-19 2006-11-22 Mold-Masters Limited Injection nozzle with a thermal shroud and method of making the same

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS4967567U (enExample) 1974-06-12
JPS5223255Y2 (enExample) 1977-05-27

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